Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, claims he has informed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his visit that he opposes any short-term cessation of the war against Hamas that does not involve “the release of our hostages.”
Blinken was in the Middle East for a second time in less than a month in an effort to strike a compromise between Washington’s support for Israel following a fatal Hamas attack on October 7 and worries about the rising number of civilian casualties as a result of an Israeli bombardment.
Blinken advocated for a humanitarian pause during a press conference, arguing that it would help Israel defeat Hamas and let aid to reach Gaza, facilitating efforts to secure the release of prisoners.
“A number of legitimate questions were raised in our discussions today including how to use any period of pause to maximize the flow of humanitarian assistance, how to connect the pause to the release of hostages, how to ensure that Hamas doesn’t use these pauses or arrangements to its own advantage,” Blinken told reporters during a press conference in Tel Aviv.
“These are issues that we need to tackle urgently, and we believe they can be solved.”
Speaking shortly after Blinken, Netanyahu in a televised statement rejected the idea. “I made clear that we are continuing full force and that Israel refuses a temporary ceasefire which does not include the release of our hostages.”
Subsequently, Netanyahu declared that the win will “resonate for generations” and be “sharp and clear.”
He said Israel’s enemies aim to destroy the country and will fail. “We won’t stop until victory,” he says, specifying that this means “to destroy Hamas, [and attain the] return of the hostages and the restoration of security for our citizens and children.”
He applauded Israel’s brave soldiers, stating that they are collaborating closely between the air and ground units of the IDF to eliminate terrorists in Gaza “around the clock.”
While Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, was giving a lengthy speech in Lebanon, Netanyahu cautioned Israel’s “enemies in the north” against making the expensive error of escalating the conflict. “You cannot imagine how much this will cost you.”
“We are trying to fight with minimal danger to our warriors, but we will do whatever is needed to defeat our enemies,” he concludes.
